IGT or DOC or why not DOCG?

How to get this topic easy to understand?

First of all, a bit of homework:

• IGT – Typical Geographical Indication
• DOC – Controlled Original Denomination
• DOCG – Controlled Original Denomination but Granted

It would make sense to think: DOCG = better, DOC = good, IGT = basic.
Well… welcome to Italy! Not all the things that make sense… do actually make sense. Let’s see why.

DOCG

Wineries blessed with a fantastic terroir will prefer to be listed at a more exclusive rank, to protect their brand, history, and the efforts made to reach their level. DOCG gives a place, rules on how to produce the wines, and—on top of that—the DOC will be granted. Remember the “G”? They will definitely be part of an elite.

DOC

Being part of a larger production area under a DOC appellation defines the winery as a valuable and disciplined producer. DOC sounds good—it signals tradition and quality.

IGT

Wineries that do not belong to historical appellations—or more importantly, don’t want to be tied to rules and procedures—may prefer to be “just” IGT.

My wine Rosso Toscana IGT will simply mean: it has been produced in Tuscany, just like that.
No rules on yield per hectare, aging, labeling, and a wider selection of varieties.
Under IGT, wineries can produce different types of wine in any way they like, as long as it is made in the IGT area.

The twist

Here comes the news: you can drink a below‑average DOCG wine and an outstanding IGT. As well as the opposite: a dull IGT and a brilliant DOCG.
Any basic Chianti, no matter what, is always DOCG by law. Yet many outstanding wines are still IGT.

Moral of the story

Don’t take Italian appellations religiously. Try the wine, trust your supplier—but more than that, trust your palate!